Noiseless gaming tips

June 15, 2008 10:49 AM

Which second hand Xbox 360 should I buy to minimise noise?

I understand there is a new "Jasper" motherboard coming out for the Xbox 360 soon, but I would quite like to play GTA IV over the summer break, then possibly sell it on before I leave for uni.

Since a new one is coming out so soon, it doesn't make sense to me to buy a new one which will lose a whole load of value if I want to sell it on again. eBay seems the best choice. Any other ideas?

Now, I am rather finicky about the noise that my technology makes. I have heard horror stories about the early 360s sounding like jet engines, from both the fans and the DVD drive. What models should I be aiming for to minimise noise? What questions should I be asking eBay sellers to check for these things? I would also like an HDMI port.

Some may suggest the PS3, but all my friends are on Xbox Live, and it's rather expensive. I prefer the Xbox's game lineup too (Halo 3 for example). If you think it'd be a better choice, convince me!

posted by phatmonkey to technology (8 comments total)

They're all loud. If you are finicky at all, the 360's noise floor will drive you up the wall. I've never heard of a quieter model.
posted by Aquaman at 10:53 AM on June 15

the black one is less noisy
posted by matteo at 11:04 AM on June 15

They're all noisy--think gaming PC, not audiophile stereo component. For some games, I wear headphones. For GTAIV, I just play it really loud.
posted by box at 11:12 AM on June 15

The one I had was LOUD. But it was the optical drive that made the most noise. The later models have a quieter BenQ drive. Be sure to try and find one of those.
posted by gergtreble at 1:33 PM on June 15

I have the black Elite one, and it's fan is always noticable during gameplay. Like Box said, gaming PC loud. From what I understand, they're all loud, but older ones had even louder DVD drives.
But I'm used to the noise of gaming PC's, so with games at normal volume it doesnt really bother me. YMMV.
posted by baserunner73 at 1:44 PM on June 15

It's funny you all mention "gaming PC loud". My gaming PC has a passive Nvidia 7800GT and a beefy Core 2 Duo with a huge silent Thermaltake sink on it. It can run all the latest games with ease in very nearly complete silence!

Well, I suppose I could be patient and wait for GTA IV on the PC. I'm not really sure. I could always try out an Xbox off eBay for a few months and sell it on if I get sick of it.
posted by phatmonkey at 1:57 PM on June 15

Eh, it's loud but you get used to it. You only really notice it if the room's quiet; when you're gaming assuming the volume is at a decent level you won't care.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 10:07 AM on June 16

To answer my own question, I recently bought a 360 Arcade (ie, it's the latest motherboard). It's not too bad at the dashboard, particularly when it's hidden under the TV, but when playing a game it gets very loud indeed. But coming from someone who cares about noise, it's bearable.

What frustrates me most is the quality of noise. It's the sound of cheap whiny fans rather than a low pitched rush of air which I normally associate with noisy gaming PCs. But in any case, most games tend not to have quiet bits, so if you just turn up the volume, that helps.
posted by phatmonkey at 6:55 AM on July 12